September 19 - 25

 

Quiz 2 is available Sept 30 - Oct. 6 . Remember that it is a proctored exam (quiz), so you must make an appointment at the SmarterProctoring tab to the left. You cannot take the exam without a proctor appointment, and you must register at least two days in advance of the appointment time you want. Do that right now if you have not done so.

Students should

  • be familiar with events and literary movements of the period corresponding to the published works of writers studied.
  • understand the major plot and/or ideas of the assigned works of Robinson and Cather.
  • explore and analyze the subtle motivations of the characters in the assigned works.
  • examine and apply the major themes discussed in this unit and be able to explain how these themes are demonstrated in the works assigned.

Assignments include

  • reading the historical introductory material in the text book,
  • reading all the documents linked in the module
  • reading selections from the works of Robinson and Cather.

Assessments include one written assignment

 

Assignment 4: Three parts written. due Sept. 25

Part 1:  Read “American Literature: 1914-1945,” p. 653.  It's really long, but it is interesting if you pay attention to some of the statistics that compare with today's world. It's also interesting in that many of the issues and themes that begin to occur at that time are things we are still wrestling with today. Of course, this is not a history course, but you must know a little history to be able to put literature into the context in which it was written. You are not, by the way, responsible for remembering any of those statistics unless you'd like to throw them in to one of your discussion questions at midterm; that's always impressive!! Also, do not labor over the details in the head notes. I do not ask specifics from them unless I call attention to in the assignments. 

 As you read, answer the questions below; the answers are in order in of the reading topics. Submit this list on the same document as the next two parts of Assignment 3.

  1. When did the U. S. enter into World War I, and what country was U.S. at war with? (p. 653)
  2. What did the Nineteenth Amendment do, and when was it passed? (p. 654)
  3. Describe the immigration reforms enacted in 1924. (p. 654)
  4. When was Great Depression, and what were the effects of it? (655)
  5. How did the small-town values differ from those of the young, educated city folks? ( p.656)
  6. Who was Sigmund Freud? (p. 657)
  7. Describe the NYC district of Harlem during the 1920s? (657)
  8. What was the effect of the automobile in American society in the early 1900s? (p. 660)
  9. Who was Karl Marx, and how did his ideas influence some Americans? (p.659)
  10. Read Modernism, and explain in YOUR words two characteristics of modernism in literature.

Read over the “texts and contexts” chart on pp. 671+ to get an idea the timeline of literary development during the first half of the 20th century.

 Part 2: Read the head note for E. A. Robinson and all the poems included (673-676). Pick two of the poems and write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the two title characters.

Part 3: Read "The Sculptor's Funeral" on 699 and explain what leads Harvey's friend Steavens to say about Harvey, "He was wonderful, wonderful; but until tonight I have never known how wonderful." Be very specific.

Submit all three parts above in Assignment 4 .

In addition, to help you with Quiz 2:

 The BIG discussion question on the quiz will ask you to discuss oppression as a literary theme in America. So, using the three writers Sa, Du Bois, and Gilman, you are to write an essay with a short intro explaining what oppression is (see Oppression in America), three body paragraphs (each one will focus on one group of people who were oppressed during the 1800s) and a short conclusion. The body paragraphs will use the above writers, not Mark Twain or other writers studied so far, just the three read for Assignment 3. As always, you must provide a least three or four specific details or examples in each of the body paragraphs.

Obviously, you will need to plan, maybe even write out some of, the essay carefully, deciding what you will say before you go to your proctored quiz. You cannot take these planning ideas with you to the proctor session, but specific planning will ensure that you do well on that important part of the quiz.